At Work with The Ready Brave New Work 60. Solving Our System Problems
20 snips
Feb 1, 2021 The discussion highlights how adding complexity often backfires by distancing humans from systems. A humorous tale about waitstaff tackles the absurdity of strict management scripts. Menu design is shown to directly impact customer choices, while rigid policies stifle authentic connections. Empowering employees with financial autonomy proves crucial for effective problem-solving, illustrated by the Ritz-Carlton rule. Overall, the need for empathy and collaboration emerges as a key theme to enhance organizational performance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Risk Shifting Overcomplicates Systems
- Organizations often add layers of procedure to reduce risk but end up overcomplicating and harming the system.
- Shifting risk onto individuals through extra responsibilities fails to create resilient systems.
Waiters Forced to "Push the Fish"
- Waiters were tasked to "push the fish" to clear inventory instead of fixing systemic issues like inventory management.
- This strategy cramps service quality and burdens staff with problem-solving beyond their role.
Server's 13-Point Sales Script
- A server shared their 13-point script designed to upsell, which annoyed customers and hurt tips.
- This pushed conflicting goals on servers: be customer positive yet aggressively sell high-margin items.